Antioch Speedway, Merced Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Ocean Speedway, More

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Open Wheel Racers And Super Stocks Return 
To Antioch Speedway, Full 2020 Schedule Released

Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway has gotten off to as good a start as could be expected during this covid-19 pandemic. Without grandstands being open, every race has been streamed online, and that will continue to be the trend this week with Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV. Following the Big Kahuna George Steitz Freedom Series event last week, this Saturday's action on the quarter-mile clay oval will offer Wingless Spec Sprints, Delta Dwarf Cars and the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series. Four Bangers will round out the program.

On Sunday night, the speedway released a schedule that will keep the track open nearly every week through the end of October. All of the regular divisions will be shuffled around in the rotation, and some key events will be offered throughout the run. Management continues to work with Contra Costa County Health Officials in the hopes of getting the grandstands open as soon as possible. If the grandstands are not opened, that race should be streamed on internet pay-per-view via SpeedshiftTV and Flo Racing.

Some of the events to look forward to include the Fourth Annual Jerry Hetrick Memorial race on August 8th. IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds headline along with the Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers. The IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds will be back on August 12th as part of the California IMCA Speedweek event. Hobby Stocks will run in support of that race. The Big Kahuna George Steitz Freedom Series will return on September 5th. This event will offer IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks for an increased purse.

September 19th and 20th will be a double header weekend. The Friday portion of the show will offer IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. On Saturday, Wingless Spec Sprints will be there along with the BCRA Midgets, Super Stocks and the annual Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop race. Hardtops also get a visit on August 1st, a night that offers Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Delta Dwarf Cars and Super Stocks.

The track will be dark on the final weekend of September to allow drivers to head to the Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Dirt Track Shootout at Watsonville. This year, the West Coast Nationals is being renamed in honor of the late Bill Bowers. It's the Bill Bowers Memorial, and following the practice and cornhole tournament on October 1st, there will be two nights of racing on October 2nd and 3rd, featuring IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds. On Saturday, IMCA Modifieds get $5,000 to win, while the IMCA Sport Modifieds race for $2,500 to win. These are the two biggest paying races for both classes on the West Coast this year.

The track will also have the Donna Soares/ Larry Damitz Memorial night on October 10th. The Wingless Spec Sprints, Super Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers will be there that night. It's also being billed as Hall of Fame night. The Dwarf Car open show on October 16th and 17th, supported by the Wingless Spec Sprints, is still going on as originally scheduled, followed by an October 24th $1,000 to win Hobby Stock show, supported by the Super Stocks. The track will also have Halloween night racing on October 31st with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints and Super Stocks. There will be a candy giveaway for the kids. There will be a Turkey Night race on November 28th, which will include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Keep an eye on the Antioch Speedway web page for any updates or adjustments the schedule might need.

The Wingless Spec Sprints have had two races in Antioch this year with an additional Hunt Wingless Series race. There have been three different winners so far. Shayna Ensign and three-time Hunt Series champion Terry Schank Jr are the two regular event winners, while Bradley Terrell won the Hunt Series race. Antioch will be the only track offering Wingless Spec Sprints this Saturday night, so the numbers should be solid. Some of the stars to look for include two-time division champions Bob Newberry and Dan Gonderman, impressive 14 year old rookie Dylan Bloomfield, Kevin Box, Jeff Scotto and recent Petaluma winner DJ Johnson.

The last time we saw the Delta Dwarf Cars, Danny Wagner was picking up the victory in an impressive field of 30 competitors. Wagner was further excited to announce that the Delta Dwarf Car Association will be hosting the Western States Dwarf Car Regionals on October 17th and 18th, and he's anticipating anywhere from 60 to 70 drivers from throughout California and surrounding states. Wagner might come into this Saturday's show as the driver to beat, but there are some talented individuals looking to knock him off of the pedestal. Young gun Devan Kammermann hopes to lead this charge along with reigning champion Scott Dahlgren, two-time champion Mike Corsaro, Travis Day, David Michael Rosa and Roberto Monroy.

When their own big event happened to get canceled on Monday, Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series Director Roy Bain got on the phone with Chad Chadwick to see if something could happen at Antioch Speedway. Chadwick had already given the green light for anybody legal according to Tri State Series rules to support any Antioch Speedway Super Stock show for the remainder of the season. 

This was different than that. Bain was looking to move the series race to Antioch Speedway, and he was given the green light to do so. To keep the race at $1,000 to win and pay decently down the line, Bain is bringing Lyle Hopper of Winning Attitude Motorsports of Paradise and Jay Bryant of Jay's Mobile Welding Service as sponsors for this event. 

The last time the Super Stocks ran a regular show at Antioch, it was Ryan Smith from the Bakersfield area scoring his first career win after holding off 2013 Antioch champion Jim Freethy. Mike Walko had a good showing in the Top 5, and these three drivers are hoping to stake a claim on the winner's prize. Other area stars to watch for at this show include two-time reigning champion Kimo Oreta, the John Keith owned entry driven by Chris Long, Chad Hammer, John Evans and Jon Haney.

The Tri State Pro Stock Series was in Susanville recently, and Smith celebrated his Antioch win by picking up the $1,500 win there. He joined the most recent Antioch Tri State Series winner, Mitch Machado, and two-time Stockton winner Jesse Gonzalez on the list of drivers who have claimed victories with the series so far this year. For Gonzalez, however, Susanville didn't turn out so well after he had a technical disqualification on tires following a solid effort. We haven't seen a full list of who might be coming to town for this one, but some racers to look for include Mike Learn, Bill Pearson, Chris Smith, Brent Lawrence, Richard Workman and past Orland and Marysville champion Jerry Bartlett. 

The track is attempting to rebuild the Four Banger division, which last competed regularly at the speedway in 2014. However, car count has been slow to build so far. Four Banger veteran Chris Corder, who has won three championships at Merced and one at Chowchilla, is credited with winning the first two races in Antioch. The track is hoping to see the roster for this division grow in the weeks ahead.

Antioch Speedway is anticipating a good turnout on Saturday night, and Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV will give the fans an opportunity to watch since the grandstands still aren't open. Furthermore, management has made the commitment to keep racing going almost every week through the end of October with the aforementioned Turkey Classic closing the season at the end of November. You can see the schedule, results and other announcements by going to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Tri State Pro Stock Series Returns 
To Antioch Speedway Saturday night

Antioch, CA...On the heels of Antioch Speedway releasing their schedule for the remainder of the 2020 season, Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series Director Roy Bain had a big announcement. This Saturday's scheduled show at Yreka had to be postponed again due to circumstances at the Siskiyou County Fairgrounds. Bain picked up the phone and had a conversation with Antioch Speedway Promoter Chad Chadwick. The result was a Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series event at Antioch this Saturday night. 

Antioch Speedway management has been looking to spark some life into their Super Stock division, which was scheduled this weekend anyway. Chadwick had already made the announcement that Tri State Series competitors were welcome to compete in any Super Stock show for the remainder of the season at Antioch using Tri State rules. Saturday's show will be even better as the series itself will be supporting the effort.

In a live broadcast on Facebook on Monday, Bain announced the Antioch appearance. He added that the series will be bringing two important sponsors for the show. Lyle Hopper of Winning Attitude Motorsports in Paradise will again be sponsoring some purse money for the race. Furthermore, Jay Bryant of Jay's Mobile Welding Service will also be sponsoring this race.

At a time when schedules are being greatly affected due to the virus, Bain is attempting to give drivers races on weekends that were originally scheduled, even if they can't happen at the original track. Saturday was originally going to be the Rocky Nash Memorial in Medford before the show was canceled and the race date was moved to Yreka. Now it happens at Antioch. 

The series has held four events so far at three different venues and delivered no less than 16 total cars. The last time the Super Stocks competed in Antioch and the last time the Tri State Series competed, the winner was the same. Bakersfield area competitor to Ryan Smith notched his first career win in the class at Antioch three weeks ago after battling 2013 track champion Jim Freethy for the honors. At the most recent event in Susanville, Smith turned in a very impressive performance in picking up the $1,500 winner's prize that evening. Smith plans to be in Antioch this Saturday night. 

Three-time reigning Petaluma Speedway champion and 2010 Antioch champion Mitch Machado will be in Antioch. Machado won the Tri State Series event at Antioch a month ago by making a late move into the lead. This could make for a great battle between Smith and Machado, but there will be other hard chargers in the field as well. This will include Ryan Cherezian. Ryan picked up a second place finish in Stockton earlier this year. He's had over a half-dozen runner-up finishes in the last two years, and he's looking for his first feature win in the class. This could happen on Saturday. Defending series champion Mike Learn will be there as well. He has won feature races in the past at Antioch. Brent Lawrence has also committed.

Locally speaking, the aforementioned Jim Freethy is anticipated and will offer stiff competition for sure. Likewise, Mike Walko will be somebody to contend with. He finished third in the most recent Antioch race and had a Top 5 finish at the Antioch Tri State event before that. Two-time reigning champion, Kimo Oreta is always tough to beat in the Sun Drop Racing entry. Some of the other drivers to watch for include Chris Long in the John Keith owned the car, Chad Hammer, Terry DeCarlo and John Evans.

The Tri State Pro Stock Series is breathing new life into Pro Stock/Super Stock racing on the West Coast, and it should be a good show on Saturday. You can find the official information on the series by going to the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series Facebook page. For official track information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Merced Speedway Continues 70 Year Tradition Sunday Night

Merced, CA...The covid-19 virus has certainly thrown a monkey wrench into the racing season across this country. Promoters in California have found it particularly challenging to do things at their respective race tracks. However, Merced Speedway General Manager Doug Lockwood is excited to make the announcement that Sunday will be the night for racing on the quarter-mile clay oval. Though fans will still not be allowed in the grandstands, Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV will be offering their pay-per-view services for fans to enjoy the action at home. Competing divisions will include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Central Valley Mini Stocks and IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars.

Since 1950, Merced Speedway has been staging racing seasons and crowning champions. The possibility of a champion being crowned this season seems unlikely, but the idea that the roar of the engines will be heard at the Merced County Fairgrounds is still a victory in this current situation. From the days of the Ashlock family, Charlie Brown, Vern Wilhoite, Cliff Stofle end other hard chargers from the 1950s through the present day, fans could get their racing fix in Merced at this glorious racing facility. 

Merced Speedway stands as a beacon of excellence with one of the nicest grandstands you'll find at a dirt track anywhere on the West Coast. It's also one of the cleanest looking facilities, which appeals to racers and fans alike. Family has been at the heart of this Speedway, as you would expect. Racing is a family sport. Ryan Porter is the fourth generation of his family to compete at this facility, and his great-grandfather was one of the first people doing track preparation back in the 1950s. 

The Tucker family has been involved at the speedway for many decades from Tom Tucker to Gary Tucker and now Nick Tucker, who is one of the fastest IMCA Sport Modified competitors. The Thomas family is all about Sport Modifieds. Three-time Street Stock champion Darren Thomas dabbles in the Sport Modified class, but his boys Chase Thomas and Tanner Thomas have rapidly become two of the biggest stars at the speedway. There's also the Falkenberg family, who began with Dale Falkenberg running Pure Stocks at the speedway. Dale has taken on a sponsorship role, but son Chris Falkenberg is an IMCA Sport Modified star, while daughter Lucy Falkenberg is one of the frontrunners in the Mini Stock division.

The Stone family hit the speedway like a hurricane in the 1990s. Brothers Ramie Stone and Troy Stone and brothers Paul Stone and Steve Stone Sr have all made their marks on the speedway through the years. Both Paul and cousin Ramie are highly decorated champions in IMCA Modified competition, and both continue to compete at the speedway to this day. It hasn't been confined to the IMCA Modified division. Ramie has also won Mini Truck and Street Stock championships and is one of the speedway's biggest stars of the last 25 years. 

Family is at the heart of what we do in racing. Names like Williamson, Ragsdale, Shannon, Van Hoff, Rodriguez and Shelton will be familiar to longtime fans. It's such a proud tradition at Merced Speedway in which champions and future Hall of Famers such as Vern Wilhoite, Ted Stofle, George Steitz, Dennis Moomjean, Doug Williams, Rob Poor, Jack Oldenhage, Ray Morgan, Bob Terry, Larry Folkner, Dwayne Blunt and Tom Friesen have thrilled the fans with their excellent display of driving ability. 

Sunday adds another passage to the amazing history of this track. Whether it's IMCA Modified drivers like reigning champion Troy Foulger, Ramie Stone, Ryan Porter, DJ Shannon or Ricky Thatcher or IMCA Sport Modified stars like reigning champion Fred Ryland, Nick Tucker, Chris Falkenberg, Kelly Wilkinson or Jeremy Hoff, there are some talented individuals still putting on a great show in these classes on any given week. These two IMCA sanctioned divisions should have some solid support on Sunday.

After her performance last year, Shannon Nelson was able to write her name in the record books as one half of a Hobby Stock husband and wife championship team as husband Bruce "Bubba" Nelson has had multiple titles in the class as well. Drivers like Michael Shearer, Kristie Shearer, Austin Van Hoff and Allen Neal make it more challenging for sure. Local stars likely Lee Ragsdale, Lucy Falkenberg, Jennifer Rodgers, Tyler Post and Shawn DePriest make the Mini Stocks one heck of a show, and that will be even bigger with the House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stocks bringing such competitors, such as reigning champion Dan Myrick, 2018 champion Greg Baronian, Clint Massey, Jeff Durant, Jason Cook and Andy Boydstun coming to town.

The only thing that can enhance an already stacked program like this is the addition of the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Grant Champlin has been lighting up the leaderboard as the reigning State champion and a two-time feature winner last year at Merced. Other racers such as Albert Pombo, Michael Pombo, Kyle Rasmussen, Connor Dannell and hard-charger Brooklyn Holland always make things interesting wherever this division goes. 

You can't be in the grandstands for this race, due to covid-19 guidelines. However, you can watch all of the action on Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV. Sunday will be the day, and racing will be the event. For further information, go to  www.mercedspeedway.net or check out the Merced Speedway Facebook page.

Central Valley Mini Stocks Return To Action 
At Merced Speedway On Sunday

Merced, CA...The House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stock competitors don't have to wait too much longer before they return to action for their fourth round of exciting racing. When Merced Speedway General Manager Doug Lockwood announced that the quarter-mile clay oval would host a race this Sunday night, the CVMS Series was included in head-to-head competition with the local Mini Stock class.

Scheduling race dates during a pandemic is not easy. With race tracks closing and then struggling to open again during the reopening phases, Series Director Dan Myrick is working to get the group included whenever and wherever he can. Since the most recent race in Hanford, Myrick and several of his fellow racers went to Watsonville to support that show. He has kept in contact with several promoters and managed to land this date after communicating with Lockwood.

The last time the series competed at Hanford a few weeks ago, there were 24 drivers on hand. We saw a new winner emerge in Jeff Durant. Durant charged from the fourth row to battle Jason Cook for the eventual victory. Though Cook and Durant are doing well in the point standings, two-time winner Myrick leads the way. He was in another car at Hanford and managed a fifth place finish. The point totals find Myrick leading Cook 315-296. 18 points behind Cook is Durant. 

While those three drivers could be the front-runners, fourth ranked Clint Massey should also be considered a contender. Massey had a fourth place finish in the recent Hanford race and trails Durant by 18 points. Eight points behind Massey is past Kern Raceway and Hanford champion Andy Boydstun. Making up the balance of the Top 10 in the standings are Matthew Herod, Gene Glover, Greg Baronian, Michael Hutchinson and Ethan Griffion. 

2018 champion Baronian has a pair of second place finishes with the group, but he missed the recent Hanford race. He was part of the group that supported the Watsonville show. That race got canceled due to curfew, but he returned for the makeup race the following week and won one of the Main Events. It would have been two, but he had problems on the last lap and fell back a position. Baronian is always a factor when he's on the track. Two other drivers who have had impressive moments this year are Herod, who had a third at Kern Raceway, and Joe Rogers Jr, who finished third in the recent Hanford race.

This is the fourth season for the Mini Stock series, which is being sponsored by House of JuJu of Clovis and Morro Bay. The idea is to take affordable cars and showcase what can be done when the division is promoted. There are no other efforts in California to showcase this division quite the way this series does. While you have a few drivers with a little bit more track experience, there are several newcomers who are getting better with each start. It makes for some exciting racing.

While the group can bring its own show to any track at which they compete, Merced Speedway has its own Mini Stock division that has been there for about 15 years now. Last season, Lucy Falkenberg finished second ahead of Jennifer Rodgers, Tyler Post and Shawn DePriest. All four of those drivers were feature winners at Merced, and DePriest won multiple times. DePriest also competes with the CVMS when he can. From a local standpoint, they don't get much faster than three-time champion Chris Corder, who will be a factor in the battle if he's there. Other local stars include Jerry Tubbs, Austin Sprague and Shayla Gould.

There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Sunday race at Merced in regards to the other divisions. However, you can expect an exciting show in the Mini Stock class with the CVMS as part of the action. Though fan attendance is still not allowed at this time due to covid-19 guidelines, the action will be available on internet streaming via Flo  Racing and SpeedshiftTV. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com or check out www.mercedspeedway.net.

Petaluma Speedway Returns To Saturday Night Racing

Petaluma, CA...After two consecutive Sunday night offerings to accommodate streaming services from Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV, Petaluma Speedway will have a Saturday night show this week. The PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars return to the 3/8 mile adobe oval, joined by The Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.

Winged Sprint Cars have been a mainstay at the speedway since 1989. The division was invited to Petaluma following the closure of Baylands Raceway Park. For over 30 years, this division has entertained the fans with some exciting shows. When the division competed a couple of weeks ago, the internet viewing crowd saw decorated Sprint Car champions Sean Becker and Andy Forsberg running at the front of the pack. Shane Hopkins led the first half of the race before falling to an eventual third place finish. 

Becker added another win to his totals that night with Forsberg not far behind him. Becker is currently shown leading Forsberg by four points and Hopkins by five. Past champion Jake Haulot is only seven points out with DJ Freitas trailing by eight markers. Petaluma Speedway is offering the only Winged 360 Sprint Car race in California on Saturday night, and this should see an uptick in car count numbers.

After the dominance provided by three-time reigning champion Mitch Machado for the past two seasons, there's a new name at the front of the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock point list. This would be two-time champion Matt While. While has won both of the Main Events held so far, but he did have his hands full late in the most recent race as two-time champion Steve Studebaker briefly got by to take the lead before settling for a second place finish. Studebaker trails While by eight points and will be looking to add his name to the winner's list. 

After missing out on the action last season, Roger Miller has returned this year and is third of the standings, 17 points behind While and one ahead of newcomer Justin Zwicker. Randy Miramontez is up from the Mini Stock ranks and is just one point behind Zwicker in the battle. Machado missed the most recent race due to a blown motor. Other drivers to watch for include past champion Shawn McCoy and Gary Adams.

The General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf cars usually deliver a strong car count anytime they're on the bill. On Sunday, they had 28 competitors. Recent Dwarf Car Nationals Pro division winner Shawn Jones won that race with local star Mark Hanson managing a second place finish. Carroll Mendenhall was the next track regular in fifth, followed by Garrett Brady and Zack Albers. These three and Hanson are anticipated this week, but who might show up from out of the area is still in question. Others to watch for include Michael Alfonso, Matt Hagermann, Darien Balestrini and reigning champion Chad Matthias.

In the last 14 years of Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock racing, we haven't had a repeat champion. Last year, Jeremy Tjensvold denied Tom Brown the honors. This year, Brown is looking good with a pair of victories to start off what could potentially be a championship run in his fast Ford Pinto. However, Roberta Broze and newcomer Cody Bolles have certainly made things interesting at the front of the pack. Broze is just nine points behind Brown, while Bolles trails by 14 tallies. These three could be front-and-center in the battle for the win, but others to watch for include newcomers Jake Barretta, Casey Monahan and Austin Lodin.

For the Sprint Car and Dwarf Car competition alone, this should be an entertaining show, and it will be live online at Flo Racing and SpeedshiftTV. For information on other things you need to know, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com or check out the Petaluma Speedway Facebook page. 

Open Wheel Excitement At Ocean Speedway This Friday Night

Watsonville, CA...This is the 60th Anniversary of the opening of Ocean Speedway, and obviously these are less than ideal circumstances. The covid-19 shutdown cost the track almost three months of racing. However, things are picking up starting this Friday night. The quarter-mile clay oval will be hosting the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Four Bangers, South Bay Dwarf Cars, Police N Pursuit cars and the Western Midgets. On July 18th, the speedway will also host the 10th Annual Howard Kaeding Classic for the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars. Other details for that event are still forthcoming.

When last we saw the Ocean Sprint Cars, multi-time champion Shane Golobic was driving Matt Wood's Sprinter to an impressive victory. He joins Blake Carrick as the only Main Event winners so far. After two rounds of Sprint Car action, Bud Kaeding has used consistency to give him a two point lead over the surprising Kaleb Montgomery. Kaeding looked strong last time out, but a pit stop to change a flat tire forced him to come back through the pack to earn his second Top 5 finish of the season. A solid turnout of Sprint Cars is anticipated for this show, including such stalwarts as reigning champion James Ringo, Koen Shaw, Kurt Nelson, Zane Blanchard, Jason Chisum and Jeremy Chisum.

IMCA Modified competitors wanting to get their racing fix have been forced to tow out of town to various venues. Reigning track champion Austin Burke had a solid week at Antioch Speedway last week with a pair of Top 5 finishes as did West Coast Stock Car Hall of Famer Jim Pettit II. In fact, Pettit is a Main Event winner at Antioch Speedway this year and has looked good so far. These two drivers might top the list of those to beat, but it's possible we could see six-time Watsonville champion Bobby Hogge IV make an appearance to shakedown his car. Past Watsonville champion Cody Burke is also a factor anytime he's on the track. Some of the drivers to watch for this week include Anthony Giuliani, Anthony Copeland, Robert Marsh, Raymond Keldsen Jr and Todd Hermosillo. It's possible we could see a few other top drivers from out of the area.

This will be the third visit for the IMCA Sport Modifieds, meaning one more race will make this an official championship in the eyes of the sanctioning body. Adriane Frost is being shown with a four point lead over current State point leader Timothy Allerdings and a six point advantage over impressive rookie Kaylin Lopez. Lopez has moved up from the Mini Late Model division at Merced Speedway. The two Main Event wins so far have gone to Merced star Tanner Thomas and Antioch point leader Fred Ryland. It's possible this duo could be there this week, and others to watch for include Gavin Espino, Steven Allee, Kelly Campanile and Billy Robertson.

Behind the scenes, Mike McCluney helped get the Western Midget effort going. The Ecotec Midgets have been trying to gather momentum in California, and last season was a positive year with growing numbers at both Watsonville and Ventura as the season went on. Midget veteran David Prickett was a three-time winner last season. Micro 600 graduate Blake Bower was a late-season winner, and Keoni Texeira also had a win. This division is helping breathe new life into a struggling Northern California Midget effort. We don't know who all is on the roster this year, but some of the stars last year included Ventura champion Randi Pankratz, Greg Edenholm and Jackson Dukes. Pankratz finished second to Prickett in the championship battle at Watsonville.

The Mini Stock division finds the two Main Event winners at the top of the list. Past champion Ryan McClelland has a two point lead over 2018 Central Valley Mini Stock champion Greg Baronian. Baronian probably would have won both Main Events two weeks ago, but he had issues late in the first Main Event that dropped him a position. Tony Gullo and John Grilli are two drivers who seem to always be in contention for a win. Both have one Top 5 finish, and Gullo is 14 points out of the lead. Grilli is 19 points back. Between these two drivers are two-time division champion Kate Beardsley and Jessie Gullings. They trail by 15 and 17 points, respectively. Beardsley is one of three drivers with a pair of Top 5 finishes. Others to watch for this week include Nicole Beardsley, past champion Bill Beardsley and newcomer Richard Mitchell.

Last time we saw the South Bay Dwarf Cars, it was not a banner night for the local stars. Reigning champion Mark Biscardi and past champion Terre Rothweiler were both eliminated early, and past champion Gene "Punky" Pires struggled to get a Top 5 finish. It was Petaluma star Joey Lingron getting the win over another Petaluma racer, Mike Affonso. The local stars will be hoping to gather up some momentum this week, and some of the drivers to watch for include Barry Waddell, Jimmy Damron, Eric Weisler, Eddy Claessen and Trafton Chandler.

With their lights flashing on the top of their vehicles, the Police N Pursuit drivers are all about putting on a good show and keeping good relations between law enforcement officers and the public. Tony Parker of the Task Force Racers Unit scored a rather impressive feature win last time out, but he finds himself trailing Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Officer Nate Graham by just one point. Reigning champion Roy Iler is also in the hunt and a driver to watch this week. Along with the San Benito Sheriff's Officer, such stars as Chris Murphy, Steven Fernandes, John Hohmann and Jackie Yeung are also anticipated.

This will certainly be a loaded program from start to finish. Covid-19 guidelines will not allow fans in the grandstands, but this race will be offered on internet pay-per-view via SpeedshiftTV and Flo Racing. For up-to-the-minute information, go to www.racepmg.com or check out the Ocean Speedway Facebook page.

Carrick, Peckham, Jones, Trimble 
Are Wednesday Night Winners At Marysville Raceway

Marysville, CA...July 8...Tanner Carrick won the 25 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main event Wednesday night at Marysville Raceway. Carrick started on the front row in the Carrick Motorsports owned Sprinter, but he had the daunting task of keeping three champions behind him for most of the distance. The Wednesday night special was necessary as this was the opportunity for the track to get SpeedshiftTV and Flo Racing to broadcast via internet streaming services. The track is only allowed 100 people in the grandstands due to covid-19 guidelines. 

Carrick set the pace at the start ahead of Shane Golobic and Brent Bjork. A red flag stopped the action on the second lap as Korey Lovell flipped in Turn 4. Carrick continued to lead multi-time Watsonville champion Golobic as reigning Placerville champion Andy Forsberg settled into third. Following yellow flags on laps nine and ten, Carrick continued to lead Golobic and Forsberg. Golobic ran closely behind Carrick, waiting for any mistake to occur. Another red flag stopped the action on lap 21 for Brad Bumgarner and Alec Justeson in Turn 3. Carrick led Golobic, Forsberg and reigning Chico champion Sean Becker on the restart. Becker briefly moved past Forsberg for the third position, but Forsberg regained it on the 24th lap. Golobic gave Tanner Carrick an intense challenge on the final lap, but Carrick managed to beat him back to the checkered flag. Forsberg settled for third, followed by Becker, reigning track champion Michael Ing, Bjork, Blake Carrick, DJ Netto, Steel Powell and Shane Hopkins.

They were  27 Sprint Cars in action, and Forsberg set the fastest lap of 13.004, beating a 13.117 of Bjork. The eight lap heat race wins went to Tanner Carrick, Golobic, 2018 champion Mike Monahan and Blake Carrick. Micro Sprint stat Mitchel Moles won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Powell, Jeremy Steward, Josh Wiesz and Michael Millard.

Andrew Peckham won the 20 lap Pepsi IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Brian Cooper shared the front row with Mike Merritt, and he raced into the lead at the start. Peckham started in the third row and Cooper led through four yellow flags during the first 10 laps. Peckham was second ahead of Justin Funkhouser at the Lap 10 yellow flag for Bryce Campbell. Cooper continued to lead Peckham with another yellow flag falling on the 11th lap for Shaun Merritt in Turn 1. On the restart, Peckham moved past Cooper for the lead. Funkhouser followed into the second position. A lap 16 yellow flag flew for Shawn Smith in Turn 2. Peckham resumed his rapid pace on the restart as he won by nearly a straightaway. Funkhouser crossed the line in second, only to be disqualified in post race tech. This gave Cooper second, followed by Merritt, Jason Ferguson, Jimmy Ford, Jeremiah Zeiter, Donnie Fortney, Mike Ficklin, Campbell and Jeremy Phillips. The eight lap heat race wins went to Cooper and Funkhouser.

Shawn Jones who won the 20 lap NorCal Dwarf Car Main Event Jones also won the Redwood Dwarf Car feature race at Petaluma Speedway on Sunday night. Ben Wiesz led the opening lap before being passed by reigning champion Michael "Spanky" Grenert. Ryan Winter was in third on Lap 3 and took second from Wiesz a lap later. On the fifth lap, Winter put the moves on Grenert to grab the lead. Jones settled into second on the sixth lap, and a Lap 8 yellow flag flew for Gage Meyers in Turn 4. Winter continued to lead as Grenert moved back into second on the restart. An intense battle developed between the lead duo, but they tangled in Turn 2 for a Lap 9 yellow flag, putting Jones into the lead. Jones led Tim Fitzpatrick on the restart, but Wiesz moved into second on the 11th lap. Winter was already back into fourth and took second from Wiesz on lap 12. By the 15th lap, Jones had a straightaway lead over Winter, but Winter saw his run end in Turn 1 for a lap 15 yellow flag. Jones resumed command on the restart and again built about a straightaway lead over Wiesz by the time the checkered flag flew. Fitzpatrick settled for third, followed by Grenert, Wade Ehrlich, Dylan Shrum, Corey Eaton, John Williams, Meyers and Gene Herndon. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Winter and Jones.

Ray Trimble won the 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. Trimble is the reigning Placerville Speedway champion. Past Placerville Pure Stock champion Dan Jinkerson drove the Mike Lightfoot car into the lead on the opening lap, but Rod Oliver moved by for the lead a lap later. However, Jinkerson regained the lead on the fourth lap with Trimble following closely into second. The lead duo began a good battle that became a side-by-side duel by the 10th lap. On the 13th lap, Trimble motored past Jinkerson for the lead. Jeff Olschowka followed into the second position. A yellow flag on the 19th lap bunched the field, but Trimble continued to lead on the restart and brought it home to the checkered flag. Olschowka finished a strong second, followed by Dan Brown Jr., Oliver, Jinkerson and Richard Vander Ploeg. Brown won the eight lap heat race.

The next race on the schedule is July 25th. The Winged 360 Sprint Cars will be back in action along with the Hobby Stocks, NorCal Dwarf Cars and the Crate Sprints. For up-to-the-minute scheduling information and other details, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com or check out the Marysville Raceway Facebook page.


Marysville Raceway Unofficial Race Results July 8, 2020
Winged 360 Sprints
A Main
Tanner Carrick
Shane Golobic
Andy Forsberg
Sean Becker
Michael Ing
Brent Bjork
Blake Carrick
D.J. Netto
Steel Powell
Shane Hopkins
Colby Wiesz
Mike Monahan
Josh Wiesz
Jimmy Steward
Alec Justeson
Brad Bumgarner
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Bobby Butler
Mitchell Moles
Korey Lovell

B Main
Mitchell Moles
Steel Powell
Jimmy Steward
Josh Wiesz
Michael Millard
Angelo Cornet
Kevin Lovell
Pat Harvey Jr
Michael Wasina
Jeff Culver
Nick Larsen

Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds
Andrew Peckham
Brian Cooper
Mike Merritt
Jason Ferguson
Jimmy Ford
Jeramiah Zeiter
Donnie Fortney
Mike Ficklin
Bryce Campbell
Jeremy Phillips
Timothy Allerdings
Shawn Smith
Phillip Shelby
Shaun Merritt
Scott Savell
Willie Horn Jr
Justin Funkhouser DQ

NorCal Dwarf Cars
Shawn Jones
Ben Wiesz
Tim Fitzpatrick
Mike Grenert
Wade Ehrlich
Dylan Shrum
Corey Eaton
John Williams
Gage Meyers
Gene Herndon
Hailey Wiesz
Issac Geil
Ryan Winter
Josh Wiesz

Limited Late Models
Ray Trimble
Jeff Olschowka
Dan Brown Jr
Rod Oliver
Dan Jinkerson
Richard Vander Ploeg


Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 4, 2020
Stockton Late Model
Sammy Solari
Eric Nascimento
Guy Guibor
Dominic Lopez
JoJo Sterns
Aaron Shankel
Ty Carlson
Joe Hylton
Dennis Byers
Daniel Devore
Mike Regelman
Gary Shafer Jr 

B Main
Hana Powell
Steve Cabral
Anthony Powell
Roy Luft
John Perras

Bombers
Rodney Tripp
Mikayla Stearns
Jeana Ramos
Allen Rider
Troy Walz
Barrett Sugden
Dave Deni
Kelsey Luft
Justin Scantlen

Basically 4 Cylinders
Joe Flowers
Vic Theberge
Jeff Harris
Mark Hunt
Ray Molina
Matthew Richardson
Dave Keller
Matthew Fuhs
Ethan Rumsey
Denny Helm
Rod Previtali
Nick Hall
Andrea Rumsey
Kenny Burton Jr
Kayt Hunt
Andy Rumsey
Billy Rodriguez

The Editor's Viewpoint

I was proud of last week's blog effort. Back in the days of the magazine, the goal was to get everything ready for print on Wednesday. The whole process could take a few hours from the time I headed to the printer to the time I headed to the post office. As long as I got to the post office before 5 pm that magazine was going out. If I got the information I needed in a timely manner, I could aim for a Tuesday mailing. Fortunately, Gary Jacob would get his articles to me on Tuesday morning from the mailbox he used in Modesto, and that got moved up to Monday when my budget allowed for me to receive faxes. The idea of sending out on Tuesday meant that people would receive the magazine on Wednesday sometimes and Thursday at the latest. I was beating Racing Wheels to the mailbox.

The way things go these days, even with technology being what it is, I end up having to chase down information on multiple tracks. This would negatively impact my effort to get articles to the media when I was doing that last year. The deadline isn't strict since I'm just doing the blog this year, and I'm in a position right now where I can strive to get things out by Monday afternoon. In this case, all I needed was the results from Petaluma Speedway to make a post possible on Sunday night. I came within an hour of posting on Sunday night, and I felt pretty good about that. Everything seemed to come together pretty nicely. From Friday afternoon through Sunday night, I was pretty busy, but we got the news out while it was still news. 

The financial incentive to do all of this isn't there, so the motivating factor was to get things out quickly. I had a smile on my face when everything got posted and had this feeling that I haven't really had since the mid 1990s. Yeah, I'm pretty good at what I do here. That's at least something. This good feeling resulted in me working on articles on Monday and starting this column. I said I wasn't going to do any sort of weekend preview blog post, but here I am. It's not happening out of any financial incentive, although I definitely could use the help. It's happening for the sake of the effort and the work itself. I guess I take some pride in putting out the news to the best of my ability. A post on this blog these days is packed with nearly as much information as I would put into a magazine. 

I woke up to the news on Monday morning that Siskiyou Golden Speedway had to cancel their plans to run on Saturday night. I don't know if we'll ever get the exact story behind this. Quite honestly, they don't owe us that. The fact that they try to even hold a race during this covid-19 situation where you can't have fans in the grandstands deserves respect. This is a business above all else, and from a dollars-and-cents perspective, it's not a winner. Tracks may manage to make a few bucks or break even during this time, but these races are being held for a different reason. There is the sense of pride in doing it and not letting the virus stop the sport in its tracks. There's also the idea of good faith with your racers. Despite the fact that you have your critics out there being negative, most racers get it. They are appreciative of the effort.

Why did they cancel? It appears as if this happened because they broke curfew on Friday night  It wasn't a slam dunk for them to be given permission to have racing there at all. They went from having three weekends of successful practice to having their first race, and there was some momentum for them. However, it wasn't a slam dunk when Kevin Barba went in there and got racing approved. I still feel bad for them that last weekend got away from them, and there's going to be plenty of second-guessing. If this hadn't happened or that hadn't happened, maybe things would have been different. I've been in that position for other reasons in my life, so I understand. The reality is they tried. The trouble they got into, whatever that was, will have them second-guessing everything.

I'm not going to speculate too deeply into what happened to make them cut divisions Saturday morning for that night's show. The state didn't crack down on fairgrounds and force a limitation on them. If it had been some sort of mandate from the state due the covid-19, you would have heard similar declarations in Antioch, Placerville and Susanville. This doesn't mean that some orders weren't given to Yreka for different reasons. Breaking curfew isn't something the state likes to deal with at these tracks, and I wouldn't doubt that a few neighbors complained. It didn't go a few minutes after 11. I don't think they started putting Main Events on the track until right around that time. It was a matter of minutes before midnight when they finished.

Yreka had encouragement when it came to taking a shot at a big weekend. Medford racers were starved for an opportunity, and drivers came from further south of Yreka too. Travis Hoppes was good enough to come in and sponsor three divisions with purse money, and Yreka had more IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds than either Antioch Speedway or Diamond Mountain Speedway on Friday. Those are facts. They were making a statement, and then it got away from them. 

Saturday night was going to be even bigger, and they didn't get to step up to the plate and take a swing. At least ways, the race that was ultimately presented wasn't what they wanted to have. They were just trying to make the best of it, knowing there might be other issues to deal with after the weekend was over. Those are my thoughts on the situation on a Monday, and I won't speculate any deeper than that.

It's amazing that Yreka attempted to do anything at all in this situation. Across the border in Medford, the track sits idle because management doesn't have enough justification financially to take a shot at promoting a race when they can't have fans in the grandstands. I don't believe there is necessarily a wrong answer. Medford isn't wrong for doing what they're doing, no matter how some of us might feel about the situation we're in. Yreka wasn't wrong for trying to do what they could with the limitations imposed on them. There's no wrong answer, in my opinion. If you try to run, you're doing what you can under these circumstances, and if you don't do anything, it's a business decision. This sucks. 

Racers woke up on Monday morning to the news that Yreka no longer had a race scheduled for Saturday. I don't know what divisions were going to be booked, because the track is doing it one week at a time as they set their schedule. If this weekend goes okay, here's what we'll do next weekend. There was something planned for the Tri State Pro Stock Series. They already lost the Billy Geyer Memorial race back in May, so this was going to be their attempt to make it happen. That's the only division I know of that was going to be booked in Yreka, and Series Director Roy Bain was already on the phone trying to figure out if he could salvage a date for the series somewhere else. 

It's important to note that the series didn't come into Yreka with their hand out. Bain had already secured sponsorship support from Lyle Harper of Winning Attitude Motorsports in Paradise and Jay Bryant of Jay's Mobile Welding. They were going to pay $1,000 to win, and I think they were working towards $100 minimum to start. Yreka might have seen 20 Pro Stocks or something close to it. My guess is the IMCA Sport Modifieds could have run in support, or the track might have been a bit more conservative and run Mini Stocks. There's a chance that both could have run, but that's speculation.

I think Roy has a few different promoters on speed dial as he tries to negotiate through what is a day-to-day situation. Fortunately, Antioch Speedway had a spot available. Chad Chadwick was not going to run the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds or Hobby Stocks this weekend as the drivers had already had two nights of racing this past weekend. They needed a break. The Wingless Spec Sprints, Delta Dwarf Cars, Super Stocks and Four Bangers are on the schedule. The Spec Sprints and Dwarf Cars should deliver some pretty good numbers on Saturday, but the Super Stocks could use the help. The Four Bangers won't have much of anything as the division is just getting started again. 

A thought comes to mind that if the track wanted to at least have a display of how good Four Banger racing can be on the newly reshaped quarter-mile clay oval, they might work out a deal with Dan Myrick of the Central Valley Mini Stocks. The group brings over 20 cars to most of the shows that they have, and I would bet that if they were given enough time, there could be a Four Banger show with over 20 cars. The track could then use that to sell the affordability and the positive side of why people should build cars as they grow their own local effort. It's just a thought.

Chadwick had already put it out there in public that the Tri State Series rules would be honored in Antioch's Super Stock class anytime that division was scheduled for the rest of this year. He might have been aware that Petaluma Speedway has the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks booked this weekend. Have I pointed out that these two tracks should actually try to work together on something for this division? 

Anyway, the Tri State racers were always welcome, but now you've got the promoter of Antioch Speedway talking directly with the series director. The situation was perfect. Roy asked if there was any room for them at Antioch, and Chad said yes. This is the kind of luck Antioch Speedway has had on its side as they try to open in this difficult situation. Saturday should be good, and people can at least watch it on SpeedshiftTV and Flo Racing.

Nobody knows when fans will be allowed in the grandstands at Antioch Speedway. To date, four tracks on the West Coast have been able to have any type of fans. I can only assume that Chadwick has gone to the Contra Costa County Health officials with proposals. I like what Jeff Olschowka did at Susanville where he marked off spots in the grandstands to show how he would socially distance the fans. If tracks haven't put that type of proposal together, they need to. This way, you could be getting 500 or 600 people in the stands if you're approved. Or, do what Hermiston did this past Friday and seek approval for 250 people. I don't know what the California guideline is for how many people can gather at a location. In Oregon, it's 250 people or less. 

If you missed this column last week, I'll just recap it briefly. It's something I have been saying for over a month now. The management at Hermiston presented the track as two locations. You have a grandstand side and a pit side. They were given permission to have 250 or less people in the pits and 250 people or less in the grandstands. It's not the most ideal situation, and I understand that. They have to go through several different procedures. It's all about contact tracing, wearing masks, taking temperatures and all of that. I haven't seen pictures, but I would assume that fans in the grandstands were required to wear masks. I don't like that in the least, but it's either that or no racing. They had racing. 

In Hermiston's case, it's a pavement track. You don't have the track prep requirements you would for a dirt track. They ran a Main Event and practice laps format and gave the crowd two shows. There were six divisions. They ran a show that started at 5 in the afternoon and another one that started at 7:30 in the evening. The crowd was cleared each time. I'm sure there were fans who bought tickets to both shows, but both shows were sold out. 

They charged a flat fee of $20 per person, meaning they got $5,000 through the gates for each showing. That's $10,000 total, plus they were able to sell concessions. I don't know what was allowed on the menu there. This is not an ideal situation, but when you do the number crunching, Hermiston made out okay and will have six more events before it's done.

I don't know what the race tracks in California are doing. I know Kenny Shepherd in Madera drafted a detailed proposal when he went to negotiate with Madera County officials to allow his track to open. I don't know what the tracks that have opened so far have done in the area of trying to get fans, but I would classify what Susanville is doing with socially distanced crowds as swinging for the bleachers. 

Jeff hit a homerun by being able to allow fans from the moment the track opened in June. However, you can bunt for a base hit. Go for the minimum gathering allowed. If it's 250 people, the proposal needs to explain how the people in the stands are one gathering and the people in the pits who get to go onto the track are another. There will be no mingling between the two crowds. You may get lucky. You may get nowhere. Why not try?

Tracks are going week-to-week on their schedule. It looks like Petaluma and Watsonville might be going with the schedule they originally released with adjustments as needed. At Antioch, Chadwick removed the original schedule while trying to figure out if they'd be shut down on any given week. On Sunday night, the schedule was put back up for the remainder of the season. It's not exactly the same schedule they originally had, but they will be running almost every Saturday night from this week through the end of October unless something stops them. There is a Turkey Classic race at the end of November for the IMCA Modified classes. It's a nice schedule, but I talked a little bit more about that elsewhere. 

The underlying question in my mind is, when are they going to be able to have fans in the grandstands? In October, the speedway will be having the Donna Soares/ Larry Damitz Memorial weekend. This will happen on October 10th. The week before, Chad has renamed the West Coast Nationals the Bill Bowers Memorial. That's an awesome move in my opinion. Are we going to be able to have a crowd by October? Is everybody who wants to be able to attend the races going to be able to do so by then? That's the question on my mind, and there's a reason why I'm asking it. I have been involved in the October activity at the track for the past two years, especially pertaining to Hall of Fame night. 

I made the decision last week to cancel Hall of Fame night, and this wasn't done lightly. Hall of Fame night is not some private gathering of just the racers. The current situation we are in now is pretty much that. We don't get fans in the stands. The people who would get inducted into the Hall of Fame in some cases might not even live in the area. They might have family out of the area. Will those people be able to attend to watch the ceremony in person? Given the information I know now, I don't want to proceed. Hall of Fame night at Southern Oregon Speedway has already been canceled, which breaks my heart. I worry about whether that event will even continue, but that's speculation for another day.

The Antioch racing community has embraced Hall of Fame night, so I think it can continue. I even believe there is a desire to do it this year under these less-than-ideal circumstances. For me personally, I'm still up in Central Oregon. This is where I plan everything, and then I'm at the mercy of support and donations to begin to make it happen. I need to figure out how to get to Antioch and where I'm going to be able to stay. I have no answers to any of those questions as I write this column. We are three months away from this event happening. It doesn't mean I couldn't do anything. I could at least put things in motion to have everything ready if I knew we could have a crowd by August 1st.

Hall of Fame night does need to continue at Antioch Speedway, and maybe the consensus is that it should happen even if they don't get fans this year. I don't know. I feel lucky and honored that I watched Legends like Richard Johnson, Dennis Furia and JD Willis as a kid in the grandstands, and the day came when I saw them inducted into the Hall of Fame on my watch. There's still easily 100 people I can name that deserve that honor and more than that. This track has been around for 60 years now. It needs to happen. I had a committee in mind that I was going to start to organize, and I admit I shut down when all the tracks got forced to shut down due to the virus in March.

For various reasons, I've chosen Lance Cline, Rob Waldrop, Ron Brown, Debbie Clymens and Chris Briggs as the five people I wanted to put on the committee. Debbie elected to share her position with her husband Tommy, which I think is a great idea. I have grand plans for what I'd like to see this become. 

I envision an Antioch Speedway Alumni Association overseeing Hall of Fame night as a separate entity from the track. The committee and the alumni themselves could decide where to take this whole thing beyond just a simple induction ceremony and display boards on Hall of Fame night. That's bigger than I can handle myself, and even bigger than that given the distance I have to travel to do this stuff.

Given the distance, I have reason to throw in the towel already. I have to figure out how to afford the trip back and forth this year and where I'm going to stay and how I'm going to handle whatever expenses. That's on top of making sure we make the right decisions for who gets inducted and making sure the money is secured to pay for the awards. I could probably still oversee that, but I don't want to put the effort into doing all of this and find out we can't have a crowd and certain people who want to attend won't be able to. Hall of Fame night deserves better than that. Through a part of me would like to force it and make the best of it, I don't like the compromise. 

News can change in a moment. We could find out we're going to be able to have attendance in two weeks. By my absolute deadline of August 1st, we may not have a hint of when that will happen. It's hard to predict the whole situation, but I had to set a limit of my own given the things that I would have to oversee. 

If somebody wants to take the ball, maybe one of the five board members or somebody else, I'd love to hear from them. I'll gladly hand over the reins and offer whatever input they ask of me. Since I'm not there, they could just pretend I never did anything and kick me to the curb too. Am I owed anything? I haven't been so far, so why should that change now?

The discussion is already beginning on the Antioch Speedway Days Of Old Facebook page, and that's a good thing. Everybody should have a voice in making suggestions. Then comes the process of going through their on the track credentials, off the track credentials, impact on the track and all of that to come up with a list of 8 to 10 people from 1961 through the 1990s. I'll observe the discussion, but my statement pertaining to my involvement has to stand for what it is. 

I can extend things through August 1st, but that's it. If I don't see the prospect of having fans in the grandstands as a reality, I'd rather not do it unless my services are retained to do so. Hall of Fame night isn't just about honoring the history. It's also about helping the track itself grow bigger and better through honoring that history and linking it to today. Fans need to be included on Hall of Fame night.

The bottom line right now is the virus situation is screwing everything up. It disgusts me to see how it's being politicized and how the fear porn is playing in the media everyday. I understand people who are living in fear right now, because how else are you going to feel if you don't unplug from the news cycle and go outside? However you feel about the situation, it's still affecting the sport negatively. American Valley Speedway in Quincy will not have a race this year because the fairgrounds itself is closed due to the virus. I know we're hearing stirrings at some tracks that haven't opened yet, and they may decide to race in front of no fans very soon.

To bring this back to history, Calistoga Speedway is closed this year. I don't think they were going to have more than a couple of weekends of racing, but even that has been lost. The significant weekend is Labor Day weekend. The Louie Vermeil Memorial will not happen, and California Sprint Week is pretty much lost as a result. Not only was this going to be a big Wingless and Winged Sprint Car weekend, you also have the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame. It's gone as well. They couldn't get the answers they needed to know regarding whether it would open under optimum conditions, so the Hunt family has decided not to put the effort into it. It was the right move for business. Sadly, Calistoga Speedway itself is on borrowed time.

I don't know if the Louie Vermeil Memorial race itself will survive once that track closes or what will happen with the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame. It's not like there are a bunch of half-mile dirt ovals in the state, and that is what makes any race at Calistoga Speedway special. Could you move something to Petaluma Speedway? Would it feel the same? 

It's kind of like when we lost the Vintage Classic event at All American Speedway when the management changed. Sure, you could move it to Stockton 99 Speedway, but that event wouldn't be the same. This is the problem with doing things that acknowledge history. Once something changes where either key personnel or a track is lost, these things fade away. Not everybody has the same passion for them.

There's this guy on social media, but I'm not going to name him. I do believe he has a love for the sport and the history, especially when it pertains to San Jose Speedway. He resurfaced this last weekend and went on one of his legendary tirades. He's the guy who attempted to revive the San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame as an event at Ocean Speedway. 

It's kind of interesting to watch him attack management at Ocean Speedway, when they were the very people who allowed him to revive the San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame at that race track. Think about that for a minute. You see, Watsonville Speedway has a Hall of Fame, but management elected to revive the San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame there rather than the track's own heritage. The promoter still got attacked by the guy in the end.

He said something about wondering when the contract came up at Ocean Speedway and insinuated that it was time for a promoter change. Well, have at it. John Prentice may not be perfect, but without him, the track is still going to have a struggle in continuing. I know there's people who have different philosophies. Stock Car fans might lament the fact that John has turned it into a Sprint Car track, but you can't argue the car count numbers in the Sprint Car division either. Management is the one investing the money, so they get to make the decisions. When the bid time comes, take your shot. If you're going to rant against a promoter while they try to do business, all you're doing is hurting the track in the long run.

I will say this though. The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds still sits without a race track on the premises. There's plenty of property. The mile is gone and the half-mile is gone, but the space is still there. I'm not suggesting whether something could happen or not, because I don't know the politics at the fairgrounds. I do know that you could erect something more temporary that could be removed if necessary. 

You may not get the big track, but you could construct a quarter-mile, put up some sort of grandstands that could be removed if needed, put in temporary buildings, sign a deal of 5 to 10 years and have at it. Baylands wasn't a pretty track, but they hosted some huge Sprint Car races. San Jose Speedway could do the same thing again if somebody with money wanted to take a swing at it. In other words, put up or shut up. San Jose Speedway could rise again and be a moderate success, but it would take effort.

The guy did say one thing that I agree with. Bob Barkhimer may be the greatest promoter that Bay Area racing ever had and would be in the conversation on the West Coast as well. You can't argue against his body of work. He built a legacy and a coalition of good promoters, and it took the guy who followed him to ruin the empire. It went into a steadily decline after that, and now the entity itself is no more. We are now over 40 years since Barkheimer was at the helm of that empire, the one that brought NASCAR to the West Coast. Does anybody remember Barky? Nope. The new generation isn't going to go educate themselves on him either.

People already don't remember Barky, Bert Moreland, Jerry Piper. Given enough time, people will forget the Soares name too. I know some people are going to say, good. To them I say, F you and the horse you rode in on. These man forgot more about racing then you're ever going to learn. It's a damn shame that they all get forgotten. Honestly, the State championship should be named in Barky's honor. It should be called the Barky Cup or something, and that should be the trophy people strive to get. It could be a series involving just the tracks that he had a hand in, such as Merced, Watsonville, Antioch and Petaluma. It will never happen.

My idea was to have a big event called The Founders Cup. I know. We've got too many big events already, don't we? Do you remember the days when we used to lock people into a big race in the four or five weeks before it happened? The winner and second place automatically made it, we set the first 10 starting positions and so on. By the time the race came around, there were 10 people locked into it and that left 10 or 12 spots to compete for. It had a special ring to it, and people started coming to town a few weeks before the big race to see if they could lock themselves into it. That would be part of the excitement leading into the Founders Cup 

The Founders Cup would be on the inscription of the trophy. In honor of Bob Barkhimer, Jerry Piper, Bert Moreland and John Pershing Soares. First place. There would be a discussion as to what divisions should be a part of such an event, but I think you have to have an open wheel class. Winged or Wingless Sprint Cars would have to be a part of it. IMCA Modifieds would have to be a part of it. I'll probably offend the Sport Modified crowd here, but I'd probably skip them and go to the Hobby Stocks as the third class. You'd get sort of a Super Modified, Sportsman and Stock Car vibe with that, which were three classes involved in the golden age.

I like the idea of a Founders Cup, because you can specifically talk about those greats and why they are considered the founders. Barky was the guy at the head of the empire creating the California Stock Car Racing Association. He's the guy who brought all the tracks into NASCAR back when it really meant something. He learned from the way BCRA did things and then taught BCRA some lessons. He was always there to help BCRA when it needed it, even as he had become bigger with Bob Barkhimer and Associates. He had good people with him that made this thing fly.

I'm probably going to forget a few names, but Bert Moreland was one of those guys. When his racing career got cut short due to an accident, he was the guy running Watsonville Speedway and Merced Speedway for several years. He even ran Antioch Speedway for a few years. Jerry Piper was Barky's right-hand man. I think he was more involved at Stockton and other tracks. I need to research Jerry a little bit more, but his name always comes up in importance. John Pershing Soares ran Antioch Speedway and Petaluma Speedway. He also had a hand in cutting the track at West Capital Speedway and even the track up at the Posse Grounds in Medford. Pops got around. You talk about Jim Soares and his track prep expertise, but who did he learn from?

Barkhimer, Moreland, Piper, Soares. They are all in multiple racing Hall of Fames, and deservedly so. They had such a big impact on Bay Area racing, and we owe a debt to them for what they did. They're all being forgotten. There's no Bert Moreland Memorial race at Watsonville or Merced. There's nothing to speak of for Piper or Barkhimer. 

Petaluma still has a race in honor of Soares, thanks to his son Jim starting it and Promoter Rick Faith continuing to honor the legacy. It's a damn shame. History should matter, and these men shouldn't be forgotten. They will be. It's just something this grumpy reporter has to live with, but I'd create something special for these guys if I had the power to do it.

You can't have a memorial race every week, or so they say. To that I say, why can't you honor somebody every week? Is there a rule somewhere that says you can't? It cost you nothing to do that. If a family says they don't want that person's name mentioned, I guess you don't. But other families will be happy to see it. Sometimes you don't even have to put the extra money up, but offer a nicer trophy. Or, you put a couple hundred dollars more into the purse. It's the idea of making the night special because you remember somebody. It's about race track heritage. I could get into a whole rant on that, but this column would never end at that point.

I am pleased that Antioch Speedway is keeping the Jerry Hetrick Memorial race, which has now been scheduled for August. They will keep the Donna Soares Memorial in October and honor Larry Damitz that night as well. Bill Bowers will now be remembered on the track's biggest night. There's a $1,000 to win race for the Hobby Stocks later in October. I have a vision of 50 laps for that race, and when you say 50 laps, you know what people think? Dean "The Blinker" Cline Memorial. There's the Chet Thompson Memorial Hardtop race in September. I believe Merced Speedway will still find a place to have the Ed Parker Memorial and probably the John Fore Jr race as well. These races do matter. I think I've made my point.

The beginning part of the week certainly wasn't filled with positive racing news. In addition to the Calistoga Speedway news, we've also had verification from Perris Auto Speedway and Santa Maria Raceway that neither track will hold races in July. A total of four races were canceled at Santa Maria, including two races in August. This was particularly bad news to the NARC Sprint Car group as they were going to be a part of the Louie Vermeil Memorial race at Calistoga and had a race scheduled at Santa Maria as well. How do you look at the next few months and have any kind of hope that racing conditions are going to get that much better? What I'm saying is, how much hope do we have of a majority of the tracks opening with fans in the stands this year?

It's hard to say. News will change from day-to-day, and we're going to probably hear some good news as well. Somebody else will open with fans in the stands. Somebody will be able to sell concessions in the stands. It's uneven in any of these states. It's based on the supposed numbers of virus cases in each county, and the southern portion of California faces more of a challenge than the rest of the state. Hearing the news from Perris Auto Speedway and Santa Maria Raceway isn't necessarily a surprise, but it's still disappointing.

As if the news couldn't get any worse for Sprint Car fans, there's even more. Everybody looks forward to the World of Outlaws West Coast swing that happens in September. They go up to Skagit Speedway and Grays Harbor Speedway in Washington, make a visit to Willamette Speedway in Oregon and then hit California. Chico Silver Dollar Speedway, Calistoga Speedway, Santa Maria Raceway and the Stockton Dirt Track get races. Well, not this year. Including a few races in late August, the World of Outlaws has seen a whole month wiped off of their schedule. It remains to be seen if they will attempt to book dates elsewhere as some states are a little more open than others.

I want to be careful not to read too much into this. However, it looks like the Gold Cup as we know it has been canceled for 2020. This does not to mean that Promoter Dennis Gage couldn't do something big with the Winged 360 Sprint Cars and call it the Gold Cup, but right now it looks like the event is canceled. Add that to the loss of the Louie Vermeil Memorial race in Calistoga. These races command a humongous purse, and there's no estimation as to when grandstands can actually open in California or the West Coast to full capacity. Series directors and the track promoters had to make the move that was best for business.

Does this mean that our chances of getting fans in the grandstands for what we're doing now are getting worse? I can't speculate on that. Nothing surprises me when it comes to things that are being announced during this time. It has certainly not been a good first half of the week as I write this, but that doesn't mean that tomorrow we won't hear of another track actually opening to some fans. 

All we know right now is that some big Sprint Car races are lost in California. Furthermore, the NARC/King of the West Series has just announced that they will not crown a champion this year due to the loss of so many race dates. They are hoping to have more races beyond the Howard Kaeding Classic at Watsonville, but they don't know anything for sure at this moment.

Stockton 99 Speedway had to make the decision to pull the race on July 18th. They cited working with San Joaquin Country Health Officials in dealing with the virus. It's kind of interesting since they have a race scheduled for July 11th that will include the local Late Model class, Bombers, Basically Four Cylinders and Mini Cup cars. I feel bad for The Noceti Group at this time. Tony is having a hard time getting the track at the fairgrounds open and has already lost a few big events there. I'm sure he's wondering if he'll be able to get the Gary Patterson race in when we get to November, but I bet he's at least a little bit hopeful that it can happen. This can't drag on that long, can it?

Technically, Wednesday night saw a race happen in California that had some fans allowed in the grandstands. Marysville Raceway has been given permission by Yuba County Health Officials to have 100 people in the grandstands. It's not really that big of an accomplishment, but at least it's something. That's 100 more people than almost every other track in California is allowed to have in the grandstands at the moment. This was the second time they were allowed at Marysville. It sounded like the first time didn't see 100 people show up, but I'm not sure how things worked out this time. I'm sure some people jumped at the chance, but there may be a few people wondering what the point is.

The point of running a race at Marysville on Wednesday night is to enable them to have streaming service via SpeedshiftTV and Flo Racing. They need the revenue that comes from that, and the camera crews they bring have commitments to other tracks. What may be interesting is that Placerville Speedway was originally scheduled to have a big USAC double-bill event this Saturday, only to be canceled due to a livestock show happening at the fairgrounds. The camera crew probably could have been at Marysville on Saturday, but it's too late now. This probably made it possible for them to make a commitment to go to Petaluma Speedway this Saturday instead. Incidentally, Placerville Speedway will have back-to-back Saturday night shows on the 18th and 25th.

The gamble you make in running a midweek race is that nobody is going to show up. There were 27 Winged 360 Sprint Cars and enough Dwarf Cars and IMCA Sport Modifieds to get two heats in each division. There were a half-dozen Limited Late Models. About 60 total race cars showed up. When you're running during the week, it's always a good idea to try to keep the show moving as quickly as possible. That didn't seem to be the case here, and the final checkered flag didn't fall until about 11:30 at night. Fortunately, this track isn't beholden to the State Fairgrounds curfew as it's on private property.

It's another race in the record books for Marysville. Dennis Gage was the first promoter to be able to open his gates after the virus shut down, and he's just trying to make the best of things right now. We received the news earlier in the day that his track in Chico lost a big Sprint Car event in September. I don't think Dennis was surprised by this as it's been a struggle just to get the gates open at the other track. All you can do is make the best of it. You either give up and wait for things to clear up, or you open your gates and try not to lose your ass promoting another show. I know the racers who have been coming out there since the track reopened are grateful for the opportunity.

 I suppose I shouldn't end the column before I talk a little bit about Oregon racing. As I expected, Cottage Grove Speedway didn't have an announcement about the next race following Saturday's show. This is not a surprise. They paid out the entire regular purse for all divisions involved, and that was only possible because of an anonymous sponsor. They also had additional sponsors come in and help make a few other totals bigger.

I don't doubt that Heather will plan another race, but I'm not sure what the circumstances will be when that occurs. She would have a hard sell opening the gates for half purse after doing this race, but it could happen. It could also be that we might not see anything until August as they figure out a way to make a full purse happen without fans in the stands. Best I can tell you is go to the Cottage Grove Speedway Facebook page for the official announcement when it comes.

Obviously, the loss of the World of Outlaw race at Willamette Speedway in September would seem to indicate that the track may not open for a race at all this year. This was the target date for them, and we know the struggles that Loren and Jerry are going through in trying to meet the county's safety code concerns. I'm unsure what they will do, although seeing them put a practice on the schedule sometime wouldn't necessarily surprise me. I've been told that Sunset Speedway is still in a county that is in Phase 1, so that situation may not change for a couple of weeks. Maybe we'll hear about something happening there in August? It's always best to check the track's Facebook pages.

There are two Oregon tracks having races. In Coos Bay, Drake Nelson continues to milk the bar and grill idea, and it's working well for him. They were going to have the Mister Dizzy Thrill Show this weekend, but that's not happening. I think the problem is this is one of those shows where they really get a big crowd, and they can't technically sell tickets to as many people as might want to come spectate. They are still working within some sort of guideline on numbers, though we're not privy to what those are. We can only tell you that they're having significantly more than 250 people in their grandstands. I wouldn't speculate on that any further, but they'll have a full slate of NASCAR divisions and a fireworks show to boot on Saturday night. Drake also put feelers out there to see if he could get an IMCA Sport Modified show at the last minute, but I don't know how that will go.

River City Speedway in St Helens adjusted their schedule a little bit. Saturday was to be the third closed grandstands non-paying race, but it looks like that will be a practice session instead. What they have decided is that on July 12th there will be racing and there will be a purse. It's not a big purse as the only numbers I've seen are for the Dwarf Car group and the Mini Stock group. The Dwarf Cars don't even get $200 to win, but it's still a payout. They also can't have fans at this time. I heard the Iron Giant people referring to the possibility that their big paying race that would be coming up later in the year might actually happen, but the River City Speedway Facebook page is the place to check to be sure on that.

I'm not sure what Douglas County Speedway might have in mind, but something tells me there will be an announcement forthcoming soon. Southern Oregon Speedway still sits in waiting. The track has been groomed and the pits are ready, but a race date? I simply don't know. Medford racers were content to go to Yreka or Coos Bay to get their fix. Yreka is down for the count this weekend, but I don't know that it will last that long unless they really screwed up in the eyes of the state. I won't speculate, but we might hear something about another race there soon. Have I mentioned I hate what this virus situation has done to our beloved sport? What a nightmare.

There is one other Oregon track that has racing planned this weekend at last report. Marion Creek Speedway will be having a Kart race on Saturday from what I've heard. Cory and Sandy Penfold have been working wonders with that little track on their property, and the last race drew some 30 competitors from what I've been told. They're looking to try to do something special for one of the open cockpit Kart classes, and I heard 35 laps bantered about. I don't know if that's what's ultimately going to happen, but it sounds like they're going to have some fun racing by the creek this weekend. They really do have some beautiful scenery there. I certainly wish them well in what they're doing.

In any case, there will be racing this weekend, and I intend to be at the news desk covering it from Friday through Sunday as best I can. Given the fact that my streaming options are limited due to the fact that I don't have money to spend, I'll keep track as best I can. Times like these make me more appreciative that Ukiah Speedway and Madera Speedway will be offering their streams for free, though I don't expect that from tracks. They do have to pay the bills. If I had to pay a bunch of bills right now, I'd be screwed. As it is, I don't have the funds to do the basic things I need to do, so I continue to make do as best I can.

Because of lack of support, I'm trying to keep this as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. If it becomes more of a pain in the rear end for me to maintain the blog on a weekly basis, I'll simply stop. It hasn't been that bad, so my plans changed this week. I go into a week thinking I will do one post, and then I decide to add a second post at the end of the week. While I may not stop doing what I'm doing for the remainder of the season, the plan every week is one post at the beginning of the week and I'm week to week as to whether I will continue that.

Tips are welcome, of course. There is no set minimum. Though people have tipped big, which is greatly appreciated, even a few dollars is useful at this point. For my part, I will continue to do my best every time I do a post. I appreciate all of the readers and those who share my posts so we can get more readers. I also appreciate that more people have been listening to the audio shows and the little audio clips we put up on Twitter as well. This helps keep me going, because at least I know people are paying attention.

Anyway, that's all for now. Until next time...